Marcia Jane Elliott, lovingly known as Janie, passed away on January 25, 2026 at Saint Teresa Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. Born on May 11, 1943, Janie was a lifelong resident of Elk County and a woman whose life was stitched together with love, hard work, and deep devotion to family.
Janie attended Paw Paw Rural School and Fall River Schools before graduating from Howard High School in Howard, Kansas in 1961. She married James Patrick "Pat" Elliott on December 30, 1961, beginning a story that lasted nearly six decades. Together they built a life in the country, raising three spirited boys into three hard-working men, countless chickens and cats, and a home filled with love.
Janie spent 28 years caring for residents at the Howard Twilight Manor Nursing Home where her kindness and compassion left a lasting mark. She eventually retired from her work there, but her instinct to care of others never did. Her hands were rarely still. Sewing was not just a skill but her passion. She created more quilts that could ever by counted; each one a masterpiece, each one treasured by its recipient. She crocheted beautiful afghans, donated handmade items to those in need, and could bring any idea to life with fabric and thread. If you wore something with a hole, Janie would notice and insist you bring it to her for mending. Her love showed up in stitches, seams, and quiet acts of care.
She was also a wonderful cook and baker. Her grandchildren hold close memories of baking cookies, making candy and homemade noodles in her kitchen, exploring the farm on adventures, and soaking up the comfort of simply being near her. The girls especially remember Grandma making amazing homemade Barbie furniture and clothes, sometimes crafted from Grandpa's socks, and that she gave the very best hugs. The boys recall a time they wanted to play in a boat full of water but didn't have swimsuits. Grandma said that didn't matter, and she let them play in it stark naked for hours.
Janie loved gardening, babies (humans and animals alike), word searches, Westerns, and a good conversation. She had a gift for making people feel seen and known, often learning your life story within minutes of meeting you. She was tough, kind, honest, and deeply loving. If you met her even once, you felt it immediately. Her life was simple in the best way, rooted in family, service, creativity, and love. Her legacy lives on in every quilt, every recipe, every repaired hem, and every heart she touched.
Janie is survived byt her three sons, Steven Elliott of Clinton, Iowa, Chris (Cindy) Elliott of Howard, Kansas, and Jon Elliott of Howard, Kansas. Her legacy lives on through her grandchildren, Larissa Elliott of Wichita, Kansas, Cody (Katrina) Elliott of Quapaw, Oklahoma, Cassandra Elliott of Grandville, Illinois, and Clayton Elliot and fiance Shelbie Atkinson of Moline, Kansas. She was also blessed with four great-grandchildren, Temperance, Sedona, Grayson, and Anderson. She is survived by her sister, Cheryl Tyson of Eureka, Kansas along with several nieces, nephews, and extended family who cherished her deeply. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill Scott and Mary Wilma (Shipman) Scott-Houston; her beloved husband of 57 years, James Patrick "Pat" Elliott, Jr.; her nephew, Matt Samuels; her brother, Carl Scott; and her sister, Reta Strotkamp.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 2, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Countryside Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington, Howard, Kansas 67349 with burial to follow at Cresco Cemetery north of Howard. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Memorials in her memory have been suggested to either the Elk County Ambulance Service or the Elk County Rural Fire District and may be left with or mailed to the funeral home. Online condolences may be left for the family online at www.countrysidefh.com. Services are under the direction of Countryside Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington Street, Howard, Kansas 67349.
(taken from the Countryside Funeral Home website)_